BCSD levy meeting attracts small crowd

BONNERS FERRY — Boundary County School District held an informational meeting on the proposed school maintenance and operations levy, also known as a supplementary levy — less than a dozen community members showed.

If the levy does not pass, sports, clubs and many other programs may be cut, BCSD101 Superintendent Jan Bayer said.

Boosters or community members may decide to support successful sports teams, but the district could run into a Title IX issue of not providing equal opportunity to boys and girls, Bayer said. If the levy doesn’t pass then the schools will close 30 minutes after school, because that’s what people voted for.

BCSD is requesting a renewal of the existing levy of $2.4 million annually and will be used to maintain the current level of education and services for students at BCSD, officials said. The levy rate is $105 per $100,000 of assessed property values after the $150,000 Homeowner Exemption is added.

The current levy expires June 30, 2023. Every two years the levy is voted on and has not increased in cost since 2015, district officials said.

Bayer said after receiving the numbers from Boise as of Feb. 15, the district's levy is no longer supplemental, but fundamental, as is necessary for the district to function.

For the 2022-2023 general fund budget revenues, 79% comes from state funds, 18% from the M&O local tax, 2% other and 1% county.

District data shows that the M&O paid 25% of the BCSD101’s general fund in 2015-2016 and 23% in 2016-2017. Since then the levy has paid for 21% of the general fund and is projected to drop to 18% as more state and federal funds have been coming in over the past few years.

BCSD projected total revenue for 2022-2023 budget is $13 million. $10.3 million from the state, $2.4 million from the supplementary M&O levy, $230,000 from local donations and $70,000 from the county.

Bayer said as the state and federal government gives BCSD101 more money the levy decreases.

The levy does not cover unfunded mandates, such as transportation expenses, special education, which the district is required to meet or exceed $1.5 million, benefits, classified, certified and administration, and curricular materials.

$1.2 in discretionary funds which the state gives for pay what you want. Bayer said the district pays for utilities and expenses for mandates, in addition they try to keep $500,000 going forward into the next year.

What does the levy include?

$125,000 for safety, security and maintenance. Bayer said an example is purchasing more cameras in the schools.

$263,000 for extra/co-curricular stipends.

Bayer said won’t be able to pay coaches, FFA stipends or teams. Might have community support for some sports teams, but could cause Title IX issues when unequal opportunities for boys and girls.

$1,670,000 in salaries and benefits, Bayer said the district could use discretionary funds to cover.

$15,000 in field trips, each school gets a set value of funds each year.

$100,000 curricular materials.

$85,000 in technology, such as software subscriptions.

$125,000 in a new bus. Bayer said each day district buses drive over 700 miles and getting a new bus every two years helps with depreciation of the fleet.

Enrollment and funding correlation

BCSD101 enrollment for 2022 was 1,493 students. The district has maintained just at or below 1,500 since 2010. Bayer and other district officials at the Feb. 15 meeting said this could be due to smaller family sizes.

During COVID-19, the stateshifted funding to enrollment based rather than average daily attendance. Bayer said that last year when Valley View Elementary was closed due to illness and not having the staff to keep it open, the district would have lost $85,000 of state funding due to the closure if the state was still funded by average daily attendance.

Bayer said the district is being told to budget for the return of ADA. She projected the district would lose $400,000 next year if the state funding reverted back to ADA.

Use of Forest Funds

From the Safe and Secure Rural School Funds BCSD101 has received forest funds for maintenance of facilities and one-time expenditures. Funds have decreased over the years. In 2009-2010, the district received $596,841 in funding, in 2016-2017 the amount significantly dropped to $68,077 and rose back up in 2017-18 to $324,866.

Bayer said the district doesn’t know how much they will receive. At the Feb. 15 meeting, she said the district still didn’t know how much they will receive for 2022-23, which is not typical this late in the year.

Some of the projects paid for by the funds include

2019-2020: BFHS — visitor football bleachers, softball scoreboard, softball fencing.

BCMS: Flooring, furniture projects phase 2, loading asphalt, handicap accessible bathroom.

202-2021: District — LED conversion.

BCMS — Science rooms remodel, flooring, library furniture, asbestos abatement.

2021-2022: VV, BCMS, BFHS — LED Gym upgrade

Mt. Hall — water heater

Naples — Removed seven walkway down, moved officer

VV — Sidewalk replaced

BCMS — Sprinkler system, LED upgrade

BFHS — Softball bathrooms/concession, cameras, fire control, softball/baseball field dirt

2022-2023 BFHS — Asphalt, handrails, drainage, LED upgrade

BCMS — Asphalt

Cost of Levy to taxpayer

BCSD data shows that the cost per $100,000 for the M&O levy continues to decrease. The levy overall request has not increased since 2015. In December 2015, the levy rate cost $282 per $100,000 and dropped to $177 in December 2021. The projected cost in 2023 is $105 per $100,000.

With projections of home values doubling, BCSD compared home values of $150,000 from 2015 and the total M&O tax to current home values of $400,000. This would be after the $150,000 exemption, the M&O tax quote is projected to be $3 in this scenario quoted approximately $420 per year in 2023 versus $423 in 2015.

Bayer said it is unlikely a home that was accessed at $500,000 in 2015 is still assessed as $500,000 but in 2015 that homeowner paid $1,410 annual, but in 2023 the homeowner would be quoted approximately $525.

Bayer said the levy cost per $100,000 is decreasing due to the growth across the county. As property values have increased approximately two times across the county the rate per $100,000 has not doubled due to BCSD not asking for a larger levy amount.

The $2.4 million request for the levy is divided by the total assessed value of the county and from there the levy rate of $105 per $100,000 was found.

The M&O levy for BCSD101 is on the ballot for the March 14 election. Absentee voting begins on Feb. 27.

A sample ballot is available at the Boundary County website. For more information, visit bcsd101.com.

For more information on how access property values found, read our article "Why are accessed values going up?"

To find your polling location, visit the Idaho Secretary of State’s website.